


Saying Goodbye

by ZenPlatypus



Series: Saying Goodbye [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Closure, F/M, Fun, Funny, Gen, Happy, Happy Ending, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 02:39:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5357876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZenPlatypus/pseuds/ZenPlatypus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aang knows that his time is coming, and chooses to spend his last days with his family enjoying their lives. He goes through a moment of closure with each and every person in his family, with a lot of heartfelt moments. Sadness, grief, joy, and acceptance are some of the emotions that everyone goes through in a few chapters. </p>
<p> A fan fiction I wrote a couple years ago to satisfy my own need for a proper goodbye to the Gaang.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The End

**Chapter 1: The End**

     Air Temple Island always had a great view of the sunset. On an island just off the coast of the grandness of Republic city stood a waterbending master beside her eternal beloved, the Avatar himself. They stood on the western balcony, viewing the perfect orange glow in the sky over the ocean. "I never get tired of looking at the sunset," Katara said. The man next to her turned and looked upon her with loving eyes. "I never tire of spending time with you." Even in his old age, Aang had a way of making Katara feel so flustered, like a young girl once again. She giggled at his comment. "It's so nice having Kya and Bumi home for a while isn't it? I'm proud of them for following their own paths, but the mother in me just wanted them to stay with us, like Tenzin did."

     Aang put his arm around his wife's shoulder. "I'm happy they're back too. Really it's just nice to have the family all under one roof every once and a while." Just inside the main section of the temple, they could hear someone yelling. "Bumi, give me back my glider!" The sound of Tenzin's voice was able to reach the proud parents standing on the balcony. "Come and get it, air boy!" Bumi yelled back at his younger brother as he ran outside, just underneath the view of the balcony his parents were looking over. Tenzin followed in pursuit on his air scooter, both of them disappearing around the side of the temple.

     Aang couldn't help but smile. "Once and a while seems to be plenty." Suddenly Kya's voice echoed from the other side of the temple. "If you both don't quit it, I'm freezing you to the floor of the bison caves again!" Now was Katara's turn to laugh. "As long as they have their older sister to keep them in check, I think they'll be fine." She drew closer to Aang, placing her hand on his back. "So strong and capable, able to keep her family together, she reminds me of her mother." Aang continued to compliment his wife. Some days she couldn't take that goofy, cheesy charm.

     "Oh, you sweet talker. I know your game. Boys like you are only interested in one thing." Katara jokingly turned her back to her husband, knowing he would quickly pursue her again. "You caught me. You're the only thing I'm interested in." Katara couldn't help but blush once again. She had grown old over the years, her dark hair turning white, her once perfect skin starting to show the signs of age, but Aang had barely aged a day. His beard kept color, he was as strong and energetic as ever, even keeping wrinkles from touching his face, and he still had that boyish, goofy grin that made her melt whenever he looked at her. Aang pulled his wife close to him once again, and drew her into a warm embrace, meeting her lips with his.

     As he drew away after a moment, her blush grew deeper. "Darn it, Aang. How do you know how to make a girl swoon so well?" Aang just gave her that grin again. "I learned from the tricks my wife used to pull on me. You have to keep your arms close to your center, like this." He made joking hand motions, referring to when Katara used to teach Aang water bending during their travels.

     In secret, she did like to get him flustered when they were kids. But now that they were older, the tables were turned, and he had become a chiseled, handsome man that used all of his powers to make her blush. Katara laughed at his mockery, enjoying his still boyish attitude. "I love you, Aang."

     Katara looked softly into his eyes. She expected to see the same love returned, but in his eyes were sadness and guilt. "I love you too." He responded softly. Aang had many talents, but a poker face was not one of them. After being married for a few decades, she could pick up when her spouse was upset about something. "What's wrong, dear?" Katara questioned him. He didn't answer, he just returned to looking over to the sunset. She went to him, saying nothing more, placing her hand on his back. They stood in silence for a moment, until Aang had broken it. "There's something we need to talk about."

     Aang's expression grew more saddened, and Katara became more worried. "Aang, you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, we can deal with it. Together."

     The Avatar looked to his wife, eyes heavy, but a soft smile on his face. As seconds passed, his face grew darker. "We have lived a long time together. A great and full life. But now...I feel as though my time is coming." Katara looked to the man before her confused. His time? What is he talking about? He is healthy and lively as ever. "What do you mean?"

     His smile fading, he answered, "My place in this world is done, and my time here is passing." Katara's expression went from confused to angry. "Why would you say something like that? We are having a nice time together with our family, and you just tell me this?" She pulled away from him. Aang tried to move closer. "Katara, I..."

     She cut him off before he could even start. "Don't Katara me! How can you possibly even think that? The Avatar's all-knowing-wisdom isn't always right. You have no reason to scare me like this!" Aang tried to get a word in, but his wife stormed off before he got the chance. She needs to know.

     Bumi and Tenzin rushed back into the dining hall followed by Kya when their mother walked in, tears welling in her eyes. Bumi was the first to speak. "Hey, Mom! Are we having sea prunes for dinner?" She stormed past him without a response, walking down the hall until they heard her slam the door to her bedroom.

     Kya hit Bumi on the head. "Ow! It was just a question!" Kya looked sternly at her younger brother. "You could see that mom's upset about something." Bumi shrugged her off. "Dad probably has to go to some meeting out of the city or something and forgot to tell mom. He'll go in, make kissy faces, and it'll blow over." Kya scoffed at her brother. Tenzin, upon retrieving his glider from Bumi, spoke up. "Mother seemed very troubled about something. Perhaps we should ask father what the issue is."

     Upon mention, their father walked into the room. Aang's expression was solemn. "Hi kids." Their usually cheerful father seemed a bit off. Bumi was first to question his father. "Dad, what's wrong with mom? She came in pretty upset, and didn't even tell me if we were having sea prunes."

     Aang let out a deep sigh. "Kids, I need you three to sit down for a moment." They all paused at their fathers command, but they sat down at the dining table. Kya questioned the circumstance. "What's going on, dad?"

     Aang sat for a moment, trying to find the right words. How was he to explain something like this to his children? "There is something the three of you should know. It's no secret that I am growing older, but as time passes, it has become apparent that my time is passing as well." The kids became very curious as to the meaning of these words. Bumi was first to ask. "What are you trying to say?"

     Aang took another deep breath. This was not going to be easy. "I am not long for this world, and it seems as though that I will pass away in a short time."

     The room became incredibly cold. A moment of silence passed before it was interrupted by Kya. "Are you serious? You're dying?" Tears began to fill her eyes. Kya was so strong willed, but she was very emotional when it came to her family. Bumi stood straight up out of his chair. "Dad, you're not dying. You're older and I know you're trying to prepare us for the possibility of us having to deal with it, but don't scare mom and Kya like this."

     Tenzin stayed silent for the ordeal, contemplating what he had heard. Aang tried speaking again. "This is not a bad thing. Everyone goes through their time. I just want you kids to know how much you all mean to me and how much I love-" Bumi interrupted before his father could finish. "I don't need to hear it!" The middle child stormed off as his mother had before Aang could complete a thought. Kya looked at her father, tears trickling out of her eyes. She took the example of her brother and left the room without a word.

     Tenzin simply stood up and said, "You should speak to Mom." Aang was sometimes put off by his son’s serious demeanor, but now he was right. He needed to console his wife. Tenzin left the room upon sharing his insight, and Aang did the same, going to the bedroom that he and his wife share. He found her there, sitting on their bed, her back turned to him. He went to sit next to her, but he knew he didn't need to say anything. The bond they created over the years meant that little needed to be said when issues so dire were at hand. She knew that Aang was serious about his upcoming death, and Aang knew that she didn't want to speak of it. What he didn't expect was what she would say next.

     "We need to go on a vacation." His wife still didn't look at him. Aang turned to her in response. "What?" She answered his short question thoroughly. "The kids are here, there's no business to take care of, and we could use the time off. Let's go on vacation" Aang thought this was a wonderful idea and had wanted to propose this as well, but he was glad that his wife beat him to the punch. She always knew what was best.

     "Where would you like to go? Anywhere in the world and we will spend all the time we like there." Aang's upbeat attitude began to return at the idea of a new adventure with his family. Although she was still upset, Katara was starting to feel the residual effect of his positivity. "Ember Island. It's so nice this time of year. We can take the kids, Sokka, Toph, you could invite Zuko." Aang showed off his big grin again as his wife turned to face him. "It sounds like a perfect trip." As hard as it would be to say goodbye, it didn't have to be done now, and Katara couldn't help but smile back.


	2. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter in my fan fiction series, "Saying Goodbye."

**Chapter 2: Old Friends**

     Aang walked up to the front of the council building. It was early in the morning, so he didn't attract too much attention. Being the Avatar had its perks, but being mobbed by fans on occasion was one that Aang could do without. As he entered through the large double doors, he instinctively knew to turn left, knowing that Sokka's office was at the end of the hall. Aang couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. As expected, the conversations with his family about his upcoming end hadn't gone very well, and he didn't expect them to go to well with anyone else he told either.

     But that didn't mean that on a certain level, he feared hurting those close to him by telling them the truth. He did not fear his death, but he feared leaving his loved ones behind with uncertainty. _That's why I need to tell them. I can't let them be shocked by it, so uncertain of the future._ Aang passed down the end of the hall until he made it to the door of Sokka's council chamber. The door was open, and he could see his brother in law scribbling something on a sheet of paper. Aang knocked the already open door to get his attention.

     Sokka shot his head up toward Aang and a huge smile spread his wrinkled face. "Aang! Come in!" Sokka was always excited to see Aang. Just as he and Katara became closer over the course of time, so to had he become close with the Water Tribe warrior. "It's rare to see you here this early in the morning. Must be something special. Here, I'll order my assistant to bring us tea." Sokka stood from his desk to yell to his assistant. "Oh, Tarrlock!" Rushing into the office right behind Aang was a young water tribe man. "Yes, Councilman Sokka?" The young man seemed eager to serve his superior, although slightly annoyed with Sokka's demeanor.

     "Fetch me and the Avatar some tea. And address me with the title we discussed." Tarrlock let out a sigh. "Right away...Wolf-master-sword-councilor...of-boomerang." Tarrlock finished saying the extensive and ridiculous title before leaving to get the tea. "Such a good kid. He'll go far in this world. So, what brings you here, Aang?" Sokka looked to Aang expectantly for an answer, but he still hadn't thought up quite what to say. "We...sure are old, aren't we?" That did not sound as good as Aang had intended.

     Sokka let out a laugh. "Sure we are, but being old is awesome! I can spit and nobody cares, I pretend I know what I'm talking about and everyone listens, and if I ever need something taken care of, I just pretend I'm confused and people do it for me!" Sokka hadn't changed much since his teenage years, much to the gratefulness of his friends, but it became a bit much some days. "Yes, but...I'm here to discuss the future. My future, specifically." Aang tried to take on a serious tone, but Sokka continued with his antics. "Hold that thought. Tarrlock!" Tarrlock came rushing in with tea in a tray. "Yes, Councilman Sokka?" Thankfully, Sokka had forgotten about his obnoxious title for the moment. "Nothing. Just keeping you on your toes." Tarrlock kept a calm expression, but was clearly annoyed by his boss. He set the tea down and left once more.

     Sokka picked up his cup of tea, as did Aang. "So, the future. What of it?" Aang figured the best way to do this was to be straight forward with Sokka. "Sokka, I don't have a lot of time left in this world." Despite this confession, Sokka continued to drink his tea. "Neither do any of us. That's why I'll have fun bossing around all my subordinates until I kick the bucket or they throw me out of here!" Sokka let out another laugh. Aang was becoming frustrated, but knew not to blow up at his friend. "Sokka." Aang looked at his comrade dead in the eye with a cold expression. Sokka's smile disappeared as he set down his cup and looked into the eyes of his old friend. "How do you know?" Aang continued his solemn stare. "I just know." Sokka let out a deep breath, unsure what to say next. "How is Katara?" Aang broke his stare and looked down at his lap. "Far better than I hoped, but it pains me to see her so upset."

     Sokka stood out of his desk and went over to his friend. So much needed to be said, but he had no idea where to start. Unless sarcastic remarks were to be made, Sokka was at a bit of a loss. "Aang...I'm sorry." Now was not the time to be down for Aang. He had much he wanted to do. His expression went from sad to excited in a blink. "I came over to invite you on a vacation with my family. We're going to Ember Island tomorrow." Sokka, sensing that now was not the time to get out all their feelings, flipped his emotions around as well. Smiling, he said "That sounds fantastic! We should get Toph and Zuko while we're at it, if you can get fire-jerk out of his palace for ten minutes." Aang giggled at the comment. "I was just going down the hall to get Toph now. You want to come?" Sokka finished off his tea before saying anything. "Let's go."

     Toph and her daughter spent their mornings training vigorously in order to prepare Lin for the special forces. Lin had to learn metal bending, but before she could, she needed to perfect her craft of earth bending. Who better to learn from than the self-proclaimed greatest-earthbender-of-all-time and the world’s first metal bender? They were practicing their daily "rock-like" exercises, until Toph had called an end to it. "Good job, my little badger-mole." Toph gave her daughter a sly grin. Lin didn't care much for the name, but she loved spending time training with her mom. She smiled back at her. "Thanks, Mom."

     Toph was so proud of her child, she was sure that she would even surpass the abilities of the former Blind Bandit in earthbending eventually. But for now, it was nice to be able to poke fun. "Take a break, kiddo. We have visitors." Lin saw nobody in the gym, but her mother’s extra-sensory perception was rarely off. She went to get a drink, and after a moment passed, she saw Avatar Aang and Councilman Sokka enter the room.

     Aang called out to his old friend and stepped onto the training floor. "Hey, Toph!" Toph immediately shot up a rock from beneath Aangs feet, thrusting him into the air. Even in his old age, the Avatars acrobatics were unmatched, and he safely fell to the floor. "What was that for?" Aang asked her angrily. She simply walked over to him nonchalantly with her ‘cool as a cucumber’ attitude. "You stepped onto my training area without bowing in. Doesn't fly with my students, and it doesn't fly with the Avatar." She gave him her sly smile, and he returned his own. He bowed obnoxiously deep to his former trainer. "My deepest apologies, Sifu Toph." The blind earthbender couldn't help but let out a laugh. "What's happening, Twinkle toes?" Aang shook his head. _Always with the nick names._ "I came to ask you to come with me and my family on a vacation to Ember Island. Sokka's coming too." At the mention of his name, Sokka raised his hand, as if to clarify his presence. "What's up?"

     Toph looked at her friends, bewildered. "A vacation? Now? What for?" Toph questioned very directly. Aang's eyes had become saddened once again. He again didn't know how to start. "You know...we're not getting any younger." Toph, still a bit confused as to the timing, pushed head on with her questions. "Yea, but why? And maybe you're not getting younger, but I feel like I'm..." Toph's snarky comment was cut off by her own realization at what the purpose of this was. She adjusted her feet properly, looking into Aang with empty eyes and her jaw hanging slightly.

     Aang knew that his friend was perceptive. She had an uncanny ability to understand what people were trying to say before they even said it. After knowing her for so long, their level communication didn't even need words. As tough as she always was and wanted to be at this very moment, Toph couldn't help but let her eyes get a little watery. "Are you sure?" Aang didn't speak, didn't move, not even so much as a nod. He simply looked to her, and after a brief moment, she walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

Aang was a brother to Toph her entire life, and the fact that he may die shortly...she couldn't bear the thought at the moment. She pushed him off of her. Toph tried to return to her hard-as-stone attitude. "So, a vacation, huh? Where to, again?” Aang was still reeling about from Toph’s show of emotion. He mentioned the location again, “To Ember Island.” Toph, as usual, didn’t miss a beat. “Sounds like a plan. Can Lin come?" After gathering himself a bit, Aang's smile unveiled itself once more. "I would love for her to come." Toph smiled just as much and yelled over to her daughter. "Lin! We're going on a vacation with Aang and his family!"

     Lin was never unnerved by her mother’s brazen announcements, but she knew that this meant that she would have to spend time with Tenzin. For now, though, she put those reservations aside and answered her mother’s statement quickly. "Great! Thanks for the invite, Uncle Twinkle toes!" Aang gave off a half smile at his old nickname coming from his friends child. "You have taught her well." Toph smiled her sly grin once more. "She learned from the best."

     Firelord Zuko sat in his chambers, meditating, as was his nightly ritual. He had much to think about in terms of the state of his nation, but was pleased with its steady progress. As he faced out his window, he heard the caw of a messenger hawk as it flew in. _It doesn't matter what it is. Right now, there is nothing. Just...emptiness_. Zuko spent much time trying to center himself and close out all distractions. Even if for just a moment. It didn't help when one of his guardsmen came to his room. "Your highness, there is a message for you." Zuko did not move from his seated position, his candles settled around him burning calmly. He answered his guard calmly as well. "I am not to be disturbed during my meditation for any purposes." Peace, serenity: the only things on his mind.

     "It is a message from the Avatar, my lord." Zuko stood up quickly, the candles burning hotter and larger than before. "What?!" Zuko was always excited to hear from Aang. It bothered him being so far away from all of his friends in Republic City, but his country needed him at the capital. He took the message from his guard and dismissed him from the room. Zuko was halfway through the letter from Aang, when Mai entered the room. "Meditation cut short, mister spiritual?" Mai had a gift of being both loving and snide in her remarks. Her husband’s back was turned to her, but she could sense his growing rage.

     Zuko ignored his wife for the moment, reading the letter in his hand, gripping it tighter and tighter. After he finished, he stuffed it in his shirt, and turned to his wife. There was fire and anger in his amber colored eyes. She was not afraid of him as some were, but knew that whatever was in that letter must have troubled him deeply. He spoke very coldly for being in such an enraged state. "I am leaving on a ship tonight. I leave you in charge of the homeland for a time." Mai was about to question her husband, but decided against it. She normally kept him in line when he would become emotional, but this time was different. He was furious beyond belief.

     "Alright, I'll take care of the meeting with Kuei tomorrow. How long will you be gone?" Mai wasn't sure how the earth king would react to the Firelord's absence, but he would have to accept it. Zuko turned to his dresser and began to pack certain articles of clothing into a bag. "About a week. You can handle Kuei." He slung his bag over his shoulder and turned back to his wife. He still had a burning rage in his eyes, but he hugged her tenderly. "I love you." After pulling away, he left the room behind her, headed for his air ship. The Firelady couldn't help but ask. "Where are you going?" Without losing his stride, keeping the flame in his voice, he said, "To Ember Island."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love playing with suspense at the end. WHAT'S ZUKO GONNA DO?


	3. Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third chapter. A time for joy and togetherness. And the first moment of closure.

**Chapter 3: Moments**

 

     Appa and Oogi soared through the sky gracefully for such large animals. On Appa sat the elders of the group, and on Oogi were the children. Everyone was mostly quiet for the ride, and the tension between Lin and Tenzin was palpable. Their relationship with one another was complicated, and the only reason they were even together at the moment was at the request of the Avatar that Lin come on the vacation. Tenzin had no qualms, but was clearly uncomfortable throughout the flight. Kya did not help. "So Tenzin, how's Pema doing?" Lin ignored the comment, although her face slightly reddened, but Tenzin tensed immediately.

     His sister was gone before Lin and Tenzin got together and separated, so she was unaware of their current status, but the awkwardness was made apparent the moment she mentioned it. "She is doing well, Kya." Tenzin tried to easily settle the situation, but regardless of the fact that everyone was dreary over the circumstances of their reunion, Bumi couldn't help but cackle under his breath at the discomfort of his little brother. 

     Soon, both flying bison landed at their destination: Ember Island. Aang was the first to hop cheerfully onto the sand. "Alright! We're here! And we've still got plenty of daylight left. What does everyone want to do?" Aang's upbeat attitude did not comfort his dreary company as much as he wanted. Everyone got off the bison slowly with solemn attitudes because of the situation. As much as Aang didn't want to admit it, everyone was gloomy because he had told them of his inevitable fate.  _They needed to know. We need this time together. I need it._  Kya spoke of her intentions first. "I think we'll just unpack and relax for the day, dad." 

     Katara noticed her husband’s expression start to turn grim. She felt just as depressed as everyone else, but Aang was her love, and she would do whatever it took to make him happy. She forced a convincing smile to her face. "We'll unpack later, sweetie. Me and you are going water bending boarding in that ocean." Katara grabbed her daughter and pointed her towards the giant mass of water. The large body of water was great for the sport that Katara and Aang had invented together long ago. 

     Upon seeing his wife's enthused attitude, Aang became almost giddy, esspecially at the mention of water bending boarding. "Oh yea! The weather is perfect for it! Kya, me and your mom figured out a delicate and intricate technique in water bending that allowed us to ride any waves we summoned." Aang was very proud of his development of the technique, but Katara just pulled her daughter close and whispered to her. "All you do is make a board out of ice and you can ride the waves." The mother-daughter duo giggled, but before they finished, Aang was already down to his trunks and diving into the water. The moment everyone heard the splash, they heard the all-powerful Avatar yell out "Cold!" 

     Now everyone began to laugh, and the mood was suddenly much brighter for everyone. As Kya and Katara went to join Aang in the ocean, Toph turned to her daughter. "Alright, my little badger mole, just because we're on the beach doesn't mean we're done training. Come on, let me show you something." Lin was always excited to learn new things from her mother. As the two of them walked down the beach to avoid disturbing everyone else, Lin mirrored her mother’s sly grin. Bumi turned to his brother. "Hey Tenzin, you wanna glide off the tallest hill we can find and dive in the ocean?" Bumi loved doing wild and ridiculous things, and although Tenzin was in a much better mood, he always dedicated his time to more peaceful things. "Not now. I'm going to the beach house patio to meditate. I'll be there for a while if anyone needs me." Tenzin began to walk away, and although he found pleasure in simple things like meditation, his brother Bumi sneered at his younger brother for being a stick in the mud. 

     Sokka came up behind his nephew almost on queue with a conniving look on his face. "Let's try and lighten up your brother a bit, shall we?" Bumi returned his uncles attitude. They always had a strong bond, and frequently connected over their odd humor. The wild man smiled deviously in return. "What did you have in mind?" Sokka took his nephew under his wing and walked him along the beach. "Kid, I love your spirit." 

     Kya quickly picked up the simple yet amazingly fun technique taught to her by her parents. She was riding high up on the waves that they all conjured, balancing steadily on her ice board, but her mother, a true master water bender was practically at the top, swerving along the water with ease. She yelled to her daughter over the roar of the wave. "You're doing great, honey!" Kya was always amazed at how her mother was able to accomplish great physical feats at her age, but not nearly as much as she was with her father. "Check out dad!" Katara turned her attention to her other side where her husband was riding. 

     His board was at as high and balanced a level as hers, but he was adding a bit of flare. His feet were not planted on the board. He was doing a handstand while riding the wave, all the while grinning at his beloved wife. She laughed at his boyish antics before yelling over to him. "Give it a rest, you big show off!" Aang giggled, ignored her request and yelled back to her. "Show Kya your finishing move!" Katara knew exactly what he meant, and a sly smile that mimicked Toph's spread across her face. She leaped off her ice board high into the air, yelling "Water-bending-bomb!" As she hit the water, a gigantic splash of water completely overtook the younger water bender and the Avatar, both of them succumbing to the true master’s prowess. They emerged from the water laughing, watching the remnant of the wave they were on surge toward the shore. 

     Just down the beach, Toph took her earth bending stance in the sand. "This is called sand bending." Toph focused all her energy on the sand, and pushed out a strong but controlled block. As she did, the sand molded into the floor in a scale model of the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Sei. Toph brought her hands behind her head, smiling smugly at her work of art. "That's how you do it, kid." Lin had observed her mother’s technique and felt like she could take it on. "Let me give it a shot, dearest mother." Her sarcasm was equivalent to her mothers, as was her strong earth bending stance. She focused all of her energy, but instead of depressing the sand like her mom, she raised it from the surface to create a far more impressive design. The tallest buildings of the scale model Republic City overshadowed Toph's attempts at sand bending. 

     Toph's mouth was agape for a moment, surprised at her daughter’s talent, but quickly began to beam with pride. "I'm so proud of my little badger-mole!" She began to hug Lin exaggeratedly, and Lin couldn't help but have a bit of pride knowing she had surpassed her mother in an aspect of earth bending. Also, she couldn't help but hug back, feeling a strong love from her mother. 

     Their loving moment was cut short by a huge wave of water crashing over both of them and their sand sculptures. Toph knew immediately that this was the result of her friend’s antics. Angrily, she shouted to the air. "Sugar Queen! Twinkle Toes!" 

     Tenzin had heard the shout all the way back at the beach house. It interrupted him only briefly, as he had become a master of meditation. However, no level of training could ever prepare him for his uncle's boisterous voice. "Hey there, little baldy!" Sokka walked up the steps to the patio of the beach house and sat next to Tenzin, munching on an apple. Mouth still full, he continued. "How come you're not on the beach with the rest of us?" Tenzin didn't break from his sitting stance. He just opened his eyes to address his nutty uncle. "I am meditating. Others may not find it very fun, but it is serene to me." Sokka continued to loudly crunch his fruit. "Hey, I'm all for it. Meditation's great! Just try not to do it too close to the house." 

     Sokka leaned in closer to the young air bender, speaking in an ominous tone. "Legend has it, that this house is haunted by the sea spirit that used to rest on these beaches. When someone built a house on it, the spirit became angry and vowed once every ten years to torment the occupants of this. Very. House. Ten years ago today, really" Sokka darted his eyes back and forth in an attempt to rile up Tenzin, but this wasn't the first time his uncle had exaggerated a made-up story to get a laugh of some sort. Regardless, he humored him. "Alright, uncle, I will be very wary of the spirits today." Sokka smiled, and said, "Okay, air boy. I'm going inside for a minute." Sokka walked into the house, looking back deviously at his young nephew.  

     Tenzin went back to his calming state, concentrating on nothing but the wind. Suddenly, he felt a large thud in front of him drop from the roof, and as he opened his eyes, a monster covered in seaweed was right in front of him. Tenzin couldn't help but let out a scream, getting up to run into the house, when another similar creature emerged from the doorway, making Tenzin scream even louder. He pointed both his palms at the demons, sending blasts of air to each. The seaweed flew off of the two imposters, and Sokka and Bumi began to clutch their stomachs and let out a strongly similar cackle. Tenzin's face reddened. "Very mature, very funny." Bumi wrapped his arm around his young bending brother. "I'm sorry but you needed that. Come on, you've meditated enough. Let's go have some fun!" 

     The young airbender was reluctant at first, but he did want to spend time with his brother. Now was as good a time as any. He turned to his wild man of a brother and said, "I'll get my glider." Bumi's face lit up, as he let out his trademark battle cry that boomed through the sky and was heard all over their private beach. The two brothers went to their things to get the glider, and soon took off for the sky, ready to enjoy the rest of their day together enjoying whatever madness would ensue. 

     The sun soon set, and the whole family gathered around a small camp fire on the beach. Nobody was anxious to get into the house, and camping brought back good memories. Sokka was standing before the group, trying to regale them with the story of The Haunted Blade. "Little did they know…that the blade was haunted!" Sokka drew his sword and pointed it to the campfire, doing his best to make scary noises. Some in the group were unimpressed. Toph scoffed at the stories finale. "That story wasn't scary fifty years ago and it isn't scary now." Sokka turned to her and spoke in a mocking tone. "It appears the old hag is jealous of the incredible story telling skills of the young and handsome sword master." He raised his sword to the sky in triumph, but Toph looked at the man before her with a cringe in her face. "Who are you calling old? I'm three years younger than you!" 

     The water tribe warrior continued his mockery. "Ah, but I seem to grow more handsome as time passes. If you look closely, you can see my jaw line becoming more and more chiseled." The whole group laughed at Sokka's humor, even Toph. Aang was so happy with how the day had turned out. It was everything he wanted from his family, just all of them having fun together. He stood up and walked toward the house. "I'm going to make us some tea." Upon hearing this, Toph stood up as well. "I'll come with you." The two of them left the group at the camp fire, walking together in silence towards the house. As they stepped the patio, Aang, didn't enter the house. He went by the railing, leaning against it, knowing that Toph hadn't followed him to help with the tea. 

     The blind bandit joined the Avatar as they both stared towards their family, huddled on the beach, and just past them lay the ocean. Oddly, it was Toph that broke the silence. "You know, I was always considered the rock for the group. No pun intended." Aang looked to his friend. She wasn’t the type to talk about old times. Or the feelings she had during those times. But when she began opening up, Aang knew to let her go at her own pace. Toph continued, "Whenever things started to go bad, I always felt like I had to keep strong and fight when nobody else could." Aang smiled. "You were always the tough one, Toph." She didn't return the smile.

     She turned away from the railing and faced her friend. "You came for me. You helped me and believed in me when no one else did. You brought me on an adventure across the world, and now, darn it..." Tears began to appear in her pale eyes. "...Now you're leaving. I feel weak, like I can't help you. You're telling me you're going to die and there's nothing that you can do or that I can and I'm so scared..." Toph began to weep. 

     She knew full well that she was in the presence of Aang, but it didn't stop her from crying. It was true, she was scared of losing Aang, the boy that gave her a life beyond what she had and gave her friendship like nobody else ever did or could. Aang put a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard, but you don't have to be my rock for this. You don't need to fight this for me, because it's nothing to fight." Her blank eyes looked up to him through tears. "You are one of my best friends, Toph. All I need from you is to be happy, and enjoy your life. You will always carry me with you, like the rock that you are. You'll be tough and strong through everything, just like you always are, and even when I'm gone..." 

     He pulled her into a strong hug. "You and I will always have our bond together. We'll always be best friends." Toph let out a few more tears before calming down. They stayed like that for a moment, until Toph broke their embrace. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm going to miss you Aang." Aang smiled at her. It wasn't often that they shared affectionate moments, but Toph had really opened up with him just now. "I'll miss you too." They looked back over the railing of the patio at their little family, standing in the silence. Out of nowhere, Toph delivered a punch to Aang's arm, ending their affectionate moment, and right then, he knew that she would be okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God damn it I love you, Toph. Why are you so cool?


	4. Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The passing of the torch to the kids this chapter. And who doesn't love a good festival?

**Chapter 4: Festival**

 

     Katara had woken up late in the day, the sun already peeking through their window. Due to her habits of traveling in her youth, she normally woke up very early, but it was nice to sleep in every once and a while. She turned her head to see her husband, staring at her with listless eyes. She spoke softly in her tired state. "How long have you been up?" Aang continued his peaceful stare. "Not long. Right now I'm just wondering how it is I managed to get you to marry me, and how lucky I am to wake up next to you every day."

     Once again, Aang's charm hadn't failed, and a hot flush ran towards Katara's face. "Well, I didn't marry you because you would watch me sleep." Aang let out a giggle. "I used to hide it better when we were kids." Katara looked at him with a quirked smile. "You did not watch me sleep when we were kids!" Aang's giggle turned to a laugh. "Well, we were traveling and I had to save the world, so I figured I deserved it." Katara jokingly pushed her husband away from her. "You were such a little creep!" Now both of them were laughing together. "I'm the all-powerful Avatar. If I wish to peek at women while they sleep or take a bath in the river, it shall be done!" Now Katara got very flustered.  

     "You did  _not_  peek at me while I bathed!" The water bender was borderline angered, but Aang continued to laugh. "Alright,  _that_  part I made up. Still, nice to know how you would react to your beloved simply showing interest in you." Katara returned to giggling with her husband. "There's a line, you old coot!" Aang pulled her into an embrace while they lay in there bed and kissed her passionately. Slowly pulling away and eyes still closed, he said, "So what do you want to do today?" Katara pondered the question for a moment. 

     She never lost sight of why they were on this trip, but regardless of how she felt, she wanted to have a great time. If not for herself, for Aang's sake. "There's a festival in the town. We can all go enjoy the games and festivities for a few hours." Aang smiled a little more than he was before. "Perfect. Let's go see if everyone else is up." 

     As the couple walked down the steps together, they saw their family enjoying breakfast at the table. Toph was the first to acknowledge their presence. "Hey, lovebirds! Good to see you're both awake!" Sokka was next to address them. "We made breakfast! A plethora of meats fit for a king! And some fruits and stuff for Aang and the little arrow boy." Sokka liked to poke fun at Tenzin and the rest of his sister’s children, but Tenzin always liked being reminded of his arrows. Whenever he thought of them or looked at them he felt a sense of pride. 

     Aang and Katara sat at the table with the rest of the family. "Thanks for the breakfast, Sokka. By the way, Katara came up with something we could do today." Everyone fixed their attention to the master water bender. "There's a festival in the town going on today. I figured we could all go." Bumi was first to accept the idea and stood up from his chair. "Great idea, ma! Let's get going!" Kya, Lin, and Tenzin stood from their seats ready to follow the wild man, but the elders seemed content at the moment. Sokka said what was on the minds of all of the adults. "We'll catch up with you young'ins in a bit. Us old folks need to wake ourselves up a bit." Toph kicked her feet up on the table. "Maybe you old gas bags need to wait around, but I'm ready to go whenever." 

     Katara looked at the aged earth bender. "Oh yea, why don't you head out with the kids and leave us 'old gas bags' behind?" Toph took a bite of her meat stick. "Eh. I can't leave you old folks alone. What if Snoozles over there falls and breaks a hip?" Sokka leered at his blind friend. "My manly hips don't need any supervision! They can take care of themselves!" Aang laughed at the banter between his friends. "Thanks for sticking around with us, Toph. You kids go have fun. We'll see you there." 

     The youngest of the group left the beach house and headed to the town with energy that was reserved for their youth. As they set their eyes on the entrance to the town festival before them, Bumi and Kya got very excited. The wild man grabbed hold of his younger brother. "Tenzin! Me and you, strength test game!" Bumi pulled the airbender off to the game before he could protest, and Kya was left with Lin. The earth bender took the initiative. "Bah. Let the boys enjoy their games. Come on, Kya, let's go gamble!" Kya smiled deviously and ran off into the festival with her earth bending companion. 

     Bumi and Tenzin were each in line for the strength test game. They heard they game vendor shout every so often, "Ring the bell! Who can master the mighty hammer and claim the prize!" Bumi became more and more excited as their turn neared. Finally, he was up. The vendor addressed him as he handed him the hammer. "Good luck, young man. Nobody has yet to ring bell today, maybe you will be the first!" Bumi lifted the massive hammer onto his shoulder as a half-smile appeared his face. "We'll see." He walked over to the game, hammer positioned at the ready. The wild man let out his battle cry as he swung down the hammer. 

     He hit the lever right on the mark, sending the metal object flying toward the bell at a high velocity. It rang the bell loud enough for all to hear, the game master staring in awe, but quickly gaining his composure. "Congratulations, young man! Such strength, such power! I dare any man here today to match this feat!" Bumi, clearly letting the praise get to his head, took the giant stuffed rabaroo, and flaunted it towards his brother. "Let's see what you've got, air boy." The air boy quirked a smirk. Tenzin's martial art wasn't based upon strength, but he had a teacher that believed in being well rounded. He stepped up to the game, picking up the hammer. He swung the hammer in a strange, circular motion landing it on the lever. 

     The bell rang just as loudly as Bumi's attempt, making Tenzin feel a bit smug towards his older brother. The vendor, again, was aghast. "Darn it! I'm gonna run out of rabaroo's at this rate." Bumi grabbed his brother by the shoulder once again. "Good on ya, little brother! Let's go play a few more games!" The two went off again to enjoy the festivities, a wild man dragging his reluctant air bending brother with him again. In truth, Tenzin was more than happy to spend time with his older sibling. 

     Lin and Kya had found their fun in something their parents enjoyed in their younger years: scamming street vendors. Lin and Kya were sitting at a game of 'which cup is the pebble under'. Thanks to Lin's extraordinary earth bending perception, she guess right every time. After their sixth victory, the vendor pleaded with them. "You ladies have to stop this, you're cleaning me out!" Lin took her handful of silver pieces and walked away laughing. Kya, who had found sunglasses, put them on as she flipped one silver piece to the game master, looking cool as ever as she walked away. She walked up behind her friend, standing next to her. "So, what other games you wanna go win at? Maybe we could use my waterbending to-" She was cut short as she was practically tackled by a man with a giant stuffed rabaroo. 

     Bumi was not very subtle in his encounters with other people. "Hey, sister! Look what me and Tenzin got!" He showed her their stuffed toys they had won through various games. There was a mass quantity of plush huddled in his arms. Kya enjoyed how her younger brother sought to impress her ever since they were kids. "Very impressive, little one." Bumi enjoyed the attention, despite the fact that he didn't like being referred to as 'little one'. A small child walking by saw all of Bumi's toys and stared in awe. "Wow, mister! You sure won a lot of toys!" Bumi looked down at the scrawny child. "You like toys, do ya?" The child nodded and smiled. "Yea, me and my brothers and sisters love the stuffed animals here!" Without a thought, Bumi dropped his massive collection on top of the child. "Here ya go, kid. Enjoy." 

     The young festival goer was dumbstruck. People on Ember Island were not known for their generosity. "Wow, thanks mister! What's your name?" Intent on making a spectacle of himself, the wild man placed one leg on top of a bench and triumphantly pronounced, "You may call me King Bumi! Master of all challenges!" His siblings and Lin looked at one another in embarrassment of their comrade, but the child beamed at his newfound hero. "Thank you so much, King Bumi! I'm gonna go bring these to my family." With that, the child took off with his new treasures and a new story. Lin was first to speak up at Bumi. "That was a bit vain, yet thoughtful." Kya hugged her little brother. "You are just the sweetest." Tenzin also had to admit to his brother, "That was very kind, but what about all your prizes?" Bumi pulled away from Kya to explain to his brother. 

     "Eh, the kid seemed nice enough. Plus, who needs prizes when you've got-" He reached behind his back to reveal to the group his hidden treasure. "Cotton candy!" The group laughed at Bumi's antics and each took a stick of the fluffy treat as they all sat down at a bench, enjoying their desert. They sat, eating their festival food, when Kya spoke up. "Dad will really love that we're all spending time together." Tenzin nodded in agreement. "I have to admit, it's nice having the family back together. After the two of you left, things were very different. Now, at least, we are adding to our time together." Kya shared her youngest sibling's sentiment, but tears began to slightly well in her eyes. "I'm really going to miss him." Lin consoled her friend by putting a hand on her shoulder, while Bumi became unsettled.

     "Kya, dad isn't going to die, don't worry." Kya shot her head towards Bumi. "Bumi, he told us-" Out of nowhere, Bumi's voice became very elevated and cut her off. "I don't care what he told us! He's not always right!" The group sat in uncomfortable silence, until Tenzin tried to ease things. "Bumi, father wouldn't bring this up if it weren't very likely. It's okay to be afraid of-" Again, Bumi's overpowering voice cut off his sibling. "I'm not afraid! There's nothing to be afraid of!" The wild man stood up off the bench and stormed off. Kya took off immediately after him. 

     Now Tenzin and Lin were left alone. Together. Alone. Things were very uncomfortable, and Lin's attempt at starting the conversation didn't help. "So how's Pema?" She quickly regretted using that as her opening conversation point, but she wasn't stopping now. Tenzin kept a very calm demeanor. "Lin, please don't start this." Now the earth bender was agitated. "She's my friend too, you know. I can ask how she is doing." Tenzin let out a sigh. "She is doing very well. Thank you for asking." The airbender's nonchalant attitude towards certain things always agitated her, but considering the circumstances of their gathering on Ember Island, she had to try to be nice. 

     "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that." Tenzin's expression didn't change at all. "You are forgiven." He was usually fairly distant, but Lin noticed that he was more off than usual. There was no need to guess the cause, but how she would deal with it was complicated. Asking about his dying father wasn't really her place, and their current relationship status had complicated things. But still, Tenzin was her friend, and she would try to console him. "How are you holding up?" Again, Tenzin didn't show any emotion. "I am doing well." Lin was not convinced. "You know, you told Bumi it was okay to be afraid. Are you afraid?" Tenzin now gives her his attention and looks toward her. He answers her very calmly. "No. I would prefer if my father were to live on longer, but given the unchangeable circumstances, I have accepted his fate." 

     Lin was dumbfounded by her friends cold detachment. "You don't feel anything about the fact that your father may die?" Tenzin returned his gaze to the distance in front of him. "I love my father very much, and I will miss him when he is gone. But it is the airbender's way to detach themselves from worldly concerns, and death is no exception." Lin couldn't fathom the level of repressed emotions that were swirling around in his bald, tattooed head. But for now, she had pushed as much as she deemed appropriate. "Alright." They sat in silence, waiting for the brother and sister to return. 

     As Kya ran after Bumi, he walked down an alley where he thought he wouldn't be disturbed. Kya lashed at the wild man. "What is your problem?" Bumi turned to face her. "What's my problem? What's  _your_  problem? You keep saying that dad is going to die. Well he's not! He beat every assassin, every enemy, faced every challenge he ever had to face and came out on top every time. He finished a  _war_!  He's not going to die now." He then turned away from her. Kya, now felt very sympathetic towards the fear that Bumi had. Their father had been a role model to Bumi, and the fact that he wasn't going to be around much longer really took a toll on his psyche. She took a step towards him.

     "I know you're afraid, and it's hard to accept, but do you think dad would lie to you about this?" Bumi began to feel a watering in his eyes, his usually overpowered voice coming out soft. "...Maybe he's just wrong. Maybe he doesn't have to go." Kya took another step towards him. Now he began to tremble a bit. "Bumi, this is something that you have to try to accept. I know it's hard, and I'm going to miss him too..." She began to tremble as well in the midst of her sentence. "...but we will be there for each other. Through the good and the bad we need to help each other through this, because darn it I need you too right now!" She began to break down crying, her brother turning to tend to his older sister. He pulled her into a strong hug, letting her cry hard into his shoulder.

     "I'm sorry, Kya. I'm just scared. And angry." He gripped her tighter. Kya responded the same way. "I know it's scary, but I don't want you to be angry. I need my happy-go-lucky-wild-man brother here with me. I need for us to get through this together." She pulled away and they both smiled at each other. Bumi was still agitated, but his sister always had a way of calming him down. "We'll always be here for each other."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the tension between Lin and Tenzin. And Bumi gives me tears when I think about him sad.


	5. Sudden Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ladies of the Gaang get together and the boys do their boy thing.

**Chapter 5: Sudden Arrival**

 

     "The Spider can beat anyone, no problem!" Sokka was yelling quite loudly towards the blind earthbender, who was returning with her own ferocity. "The Spider is a wimp! He doesn't take any serious challenges!"  The two lifelong friends were bickering about the status of a pro bending contender. They were walking a few feet ahead of Aang and Katara, who were content staying out of the argument and enjoyed the sights of the festival. Aang turned to his own lifelong friend and wife. He spoke to her in a hushed tone. "Honey, you're making all the women at this festival jealous. You couldn't tone it down a little just for their sake?" Katara laughed at his cheesy compliment.

     It had been used before, about five or six years ago, and eleven years before that, but it still worked. "Yea, I'm sure all these young women are jealous of some old lady with graying hair and wrinkles." Katara had a determination to age with grace. She frequently saw women who caked make up on their faces in attempts to look younger, but they frequently looked ridiculous. The water bender swore to never act like that in her old age, and she never did. Her appearance was not what made her a strong person. Aang, knowing this all too well, never missed an opportunity to remind his wife that she was beautiful none the less. "These girls can't hold a candle to the intoxicating beauty that resides within my wife." He practically sounded like a poet, as if the clutch to his chest, hand on his forehead, and heavenly gaze didn't sell it enough. 

     Katara giggled once again, but was unable to comment, as Sokka had listened in on their conversation and barged in between them. "Hey, Romeo. Quit hitting on my sister." Sokka enjoyed feigning protectiveness over his younger sister, but she was never amused at his antic. She grunted at him. "Sokka, can't you just act your age and complain about the post office and leave us be?" Her brother ignored the implication of his age. "They never do anything within the time frame they say they will! Anyway, I need Aang to glide me back to the house." Both Aang and Katara quirked an eyebrow at the water tribesman. Aang spoke up first. "We just got here, you're done already?" Sokka shook his head. "I left my sword at the house. I feel barren without it, and if you fly me it will take just a second." 

     Aang knew what Sokka was trying to accomplish with his not-so-mastermind-plot, but he went along with it anyway. Katara picked up on it as well, shooting her husband a look that said, "Go, but come back quick." Aang twirled around his glider, letting the wings spread open. "Alright, grab on." Sokka took hold of a part of the glider near Aang's feet and they took off, leaving Toph and Katara alone. Toph did not quite pick up on Sokka's true intention behind going to the house. "Why did you let Snoozles drag Aang all the way back to the beach house?" Katara, her eyes still fixated on the glider the Avatar commanded, answered softly. "They just need to talk." 

     Toph had recalled the other night when Aang and herself had their "talk." She suspected that he would probably doing his rounds with everyone in their misfit family as well as with his actual family. Right now it looked like it was Sokka's turn, but being near Katara, Toph could tell that she still hadn't settled her feelings with her husband. "How are you dealing with all of this?" Katara continued to look at the skyline where her husband disappeared. She spoke softly, "I'm not." There wasn't much to say. She and Aang hadn't said much of what would happen since he broke the news to her. She needed time to think, but was aching every minute at the thought of losing her love. 

     Toph, sensing this, tried to console her friend. "Katara, you can talk to me." The water bender knew that she could. Yet just thinking about saying anything to her friend made tears pour down her cheeks. She tried to communicate through muffled sobs. "I don't know what to do. How am I supposed to live without him? Why does he have to..." She couldn't continue. It was too much to bear right now. Toph, not exactly the touchy-feel-y type, placed a hand on her friends shoulder. "I can't say I know how you feel, Katara. But I want you to know that we're all here for you, and that it will be okay." Katara shot an angry look at her friend. "How can this be okay? My husband, my best friend, is going to..." Katara put her face in her hands, trying to hide from the world around her. 

     She didn't want to feel this way or be around here. She just wanted to sit in darkness and wallow in sadness for her love. Toph, again unsure of how to handle this situation, was dumbfounded. Nobody in their tight knit family had yet to pass on, so this was the first time any of them had to deal with the death of someone so close. But for Katara, it was like she was going to lose a piece of herself. She and Aang had been together since their childhood, had children together, and spent every waking moment of their lives trying to be together. How was Toph supposed to sympathize with this? Still, Katara was like her sister, and she had to try. "You know how Aang told us about chakras and stuff?" 

     Katara broke her sobs and turned to her friend, perplexed. Toph had never shown much of a spiritual side, but this made Katara curious. Toph continued with her attempts to comfort the water bender. "He said that love doesn't leave the world, and that we keep those closest to us in our hearts. Even though he is...leaving, he's not really gone. His spirit will go on within your heart." It sounded so cheesy to her, but she didn't know much else of what to say. Regardless of how Toph thought it sounded, it made Katara feel a bit better. "Thank you, Toph. I'm sorry I'm ruining the mood of the festival for you." Toph, trying to lighten the mood, did what she always did: cracked a joke at her friend’s expense. "Don't worry about it, Sugar Queen. You brought me down all the time when we were kids." 

     Katara looked at her friend with an annoyed face. "Well, Mud Slug, we did have our own little adventures regardless." Toph's signature sly smile appeared on her face as she thought of a brilliant way to cheer up Katara. "Speaking of old times, I think I've got an idea to cheer you up a bit." The water bender quirked her eyebrow. "Oh, and what would that be?" Toph wrapped her arm around her friends shoulder. "You and me are gonna pull another scam." Katara first tried to pull away, about to protest, but the idea of just letting everything else go to spend time with her friend was too interesting to ignore. A familiar sly smile crawled onto Katara's face. "Let's do it." 

     Aang had brought Sokka near the front of the beach house with as soft a landing as an airbender could make. They both walked side by side into the house, and lo and behold, Sokka's sword was placed on the dining table. He went over to pick up his trusted weapon. "Thanks for bringing me back, Aang. I get uneasy when I don't carry my means for butt-kicking." He snickered a bit at his own joke. Aang rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law. "Yea, you must be getting pretty forgetful in your old age to leave your sword behind." Sokka laughed at the implication. "Yea, you know me. Old, forgetful Sokka." His eyes turned solemn as he looked down at the blade in his hands. "We are getting pretty old, aren't we?" Sokka was very unsure of how to proceed with this sort of conversation, but he had feelings he needed to settle with Aang. "Truth be told, I'm not sure how much time I have left in this world either." 

     Aang had known this talk was coming, but still hurt at the thought of Sokka passing on. Of course, his own circumstances weren't much different. The Avatar struggled to find the right words. "...Are you afraid?" Sokka continued to look at his sword, the symbol of his youth and virility which had slipped by as the years went on. "No, I'm not afraid. I just worry about leaving my family behind. I know they will manage, but I don't want to be the cause of their pain." He looked up to his life-long friend. "That's why I understand why you brought us all out here. Enjoy the good times while we still have them." Sokka turned his head away once more, tears starting to well. "But it doesn't mean that I'm handling this any better than everyone else. I can't bear the thought of you leaving Aang. We've been best friends our whole lives. Comrades on the field of battle. And now..." 

     A moment of silence passed between them. It was true that they had shared much throughout their lives. The battlefield was one aspect of their relationship that Sokka frequently clung to, but right now Aang wanted to remember all of the other important parts of his life that Sokka was integral to and tell him how important he is, for he may not get another chance. He walked towards his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not just my comrade, Sokka. You are my brother as well as my best friend. You were an example to me my whole life, showing me how to be a man, always teaching me things. Heck, you taught me how to shave!" Sokka laughed at the old memory. "Ha! You tried it by yourself first and slit your cheek. You ran out of that bathroom, begging me for help!" Aang joined his laughter. "Then you had to explain to me why we don't use kitchen knives to shave!" Both of them now enjoyed their laughter together, until they calmed down enough for Aang to continue.

     "You helped me in my journey to become the Avatar, you gave me your blessing to be with your sister, and you helped me become a better man, the man I am today. I owe you a part of my life, and I love you like my brother, Sokka." Sokka smiled at the Avatar. There was little left to be said between the two. The two hugged as they shared the remembrance of their lives together. Sokka was first to pull away. "I'm going to miss you, Aang. You too, were like the little brother I never had, but you taught me just as much and probably more than I ever did for you. I don't know why it is that fate has decided to take you now," Sokka held out his arm, "but I know that you will face your fate like a man. And maybe soon, I'll see you on the other side." 

     Aang grasped his friends forearm in a strong grip, the two of them smiling at each other. They each let go, and Aang spoke up first. "Let's head back to the festival. I saw a fencing game going on. But maybe you're a bit too old to kick some young swordsman butt." Sokka laughed at the challenge. "I'll show you who's old. After I'm done beating up those kids, you and me are gonna arm wrestle." Aang laughed as well, the two of them leaving the house, heading out to enjoy their male bonding moment for probably their last time. 

     Later that night, everyone was gathered around the dining table, enjoying a meal that everyone helped to put together. Everyone was eating and laughing, sharing the stories of their day at the festival. Kya gestured to the large stuffed animal in the corner of the room. "After Bumi gave away all of his toys, he played one last game and won me a giant stuffed bear." Sokka looked curiously at the stuffed creature. "That thing still weirds me out." Toph nodded in agreement. "It's  _just_  a bear? That thing is creepy." The table joined in the laughter until Lin spoke up. "While you two had fun winning toys, I cleaned out half the gamblers on the floor." Tenzin scoffed. "Then they almost threw us both out of the festival. I had to calm down those card players you hustled." Toph laughed at her daughters antics. "That's my girl! Always rustling up trouble. Just like her mom." Katara jumped into the conversation. "Thank goodness we have another Bei Fong around. We didn't get into enough trouble already." 

     Toph smiled at her friends comment. "You're one to talk, Sugar Queen. You did some hustling yourself today." Katara laughed at the thought of their adventure today. "That jerk didn't know what was coming. _Oh, my hip, my hip! I fell over because of this careless vendor wheeling around his cart!'"_  Toph joined her friend in reminiscing about the day’s events. "That dude got so scared he hurt you, he gave us  _both_  purses just to shut you up!" The whole table joined in the laughter once again, enjoying a good meal, and enjoying the time they spent together. Aang couldn't be happier with everything that was going on. He loved having everyone around; just having fun with whatever situation they found themselves in.

     Just when Aang thought things couldn't get any better, a huge crash interrupted their dinner. The crash came from the front door that was just kicked in, and standing in the door with violent fury in his eyes was Firelord Zuko. He raised his hand and pointed his finger at the Avatar. "You and me need to have a talk." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH SHIT FIRELORD ZUKO IN THE HOUSE. Yeah, took him long enough.


	6. Soul of Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is not happy. 
> 
> He's never happy.

**Chapter 6: Soul of Fire**

 

     The entire table turned to look at the Firelord. He had violently entered the house, breaking the door off its hinges, and he spoke with a deep rage directed toward the Avatar. Even though they had all become such close friends with Zuko, they all stood up ready to defend themselves and Aang. Sensing the agitation in the room, Aang raised his hands to his family. "Stop!" He had a very commanding voice when he needed it, and everyone at the dining table quickly settled themselves. Aang turned away from his family and looked to Zuko. "Alright. Let's talk." 

     Zuko walked aggressively towards Aang and grabbed him by the arm. As Zuko dragged him to another room in the house, Aang shot a look to his nervous family, his eyes telling them that everything was okay. They entered into the master bedroom that was reserved for the Avatar and his wife, but for right now, it would be the verbal battleground for the Firelord and the Avatar. As they entered the room, Zuko slammed the door behind him. Aang was first to speak, trying to lighten the mood. "Good to see you too, Zuko." Disregarding the comment, the Firelord still had a white hot fury in his eyes. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his shirt. 

     "What is the deal with this?" Zuko's voice boomed through the house, but nobody dared enter the room. Everyone knew that the Avatar and the Firelord needed to sort a few things out. Zuko continued his rave. "I should break your jaw right now for sending this! How could you possibly believe this to be appropriate?" Aang said nothing, just calmly watching his friend as he began to read the letter. " _Unfortunately, it seems as though my time is passing, and before my time comes, I would like you to join the rest of the family for a vacation on Ember Island. I understand if your duties as Firelord keep you from coming._  What does that even mean?" 

     In his rage, the Firelord burned he paper in his hand, elevating the temperature in the room. "You look fine! You're still the same stupid kid that you were all those years ago! I can't believe you would upset me like this for nothing! And what is all that about 'my duties as Firelord'? You think I wouldn't come? I thought we were friends!" Aang tried to get a word in to calm his friend. "We are friends." Zuko glared at him, the fire still in his eyes. "Shut up! We can't be that great of friends if you think I wouldn't come here when you needed me!" Zuko's voice seemed to crack from choking back a sob. But he quickly returned to his violent outrage. "We built a country together, we ended a war together, we traveled together, and you still think so little of me! Why wouldn't I come? Why wouldn't I want to be here for you?" 

     Aang realized Zuko wasn't truly angry with him. He just believed that Aang didn't think much of their friendship. Of course, the circumstances were quite the opposite. Aang cherished his friendship with Zuko and would have been heartbroken if he hadn't arrived. He tried a move that worked well with his other friends, trying to place a hand on the Firelord's shoulder. Zuko shrugged it off, carrying on with his fury. "Don't touch me, you bastard! You were there for me for my mother, there for me for my uncle..." Zuko couldn't hide the tears welling in his eyes now, but his voice still contained the burning passion that he held onto so well. "Why do you have to die?! Why don't you want me to be here for you?!" There was a break of silence. Aang wasn't sure if he would be able to get a word in, but with Zuko's current silent state, he would give it a try. 

     "Of course I wanted you here, Zuko. You're one of my closest friends." Zuko's eyes softened as he looked upon the Avatar. So many thoughts and emotions swirled in his mind, he didn’t know what to say. "...Is it true? Are you dying?" Aang didn't know how to answer that, but when Zuko had looked at him in the eye, he knew it was true. Zuko began speaking in a calmer tone. "We've been friends for so long, we've done so much." Aang looked to his angered friend sympathetically. Zuko had issues of dealing with loss in the past and was always emotional. Yet he had never seen him as angered as he had now. Aang tried smiling to his friend. "It has been a long time, hasn't it? We changed the world together." Zuko put his back to the wall and slumped down in a seated position. Aang followed example and sat next to him. Zuko didn't look to his friend as he spoke. "I don't know how I'm going to go on without you by my side. Even in my worst days, when I was so unsure, I had you there just in case I needed you." 

     Aang attempted to put his hand on Zuko's shoulder once again, this time not met with conflict. "You were always a great leader, and you always had the best intentions for the world at heart. You don't need me to be a great Firelord." Zuko now looked to the Avatar. "But I need you as my friend." Again, the two had to sit in silence. Zuko had become very close with Aang throughout their lifetime. They had a tense relationship at first, but they grew to depend on one another throughout both their political careers and their personal lives. Aang wanted to ease his friends mind, but it was difficult. He had to think of the right thing to say. "Remember when Katara was pregnant with Kya?" Zuko looked at Aang with a confused expression. "Yea. Why?" Aang smiled remembering the memory. "And when Katara went into labor?" Now Zuko recalled the memory he was speaking of. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Yea, I remember." Aang went on with his story.

     "We were all in the middle of a council meeting-" 

     Zuko continued the story as he began to recall the events taking place. "And suddenly Katara looks like she's in enormous pain. I was sitting next to you and you next to her. Trying to be subtle, she leans in to whisper to you-"

     Aang picked up the story again. " _I think the baby is coming._  So, like any rational person-"

     "You scream at the top of your lungs in the middle of a meeting,  _you're having the baby! What do we do? We need to go right now!"_

Aang laughed at Zuko's impersonation. "I tried to be calm for her, but we were both freaking out. I ran outside to call a carriage and ran back in to come get her. Then you, me and Katara all got in and sped off to the healer."

     Zuko chuckled once more. "I remember that carriage ride. Katara clutched your hand and you were breaking the bones in mine." Aang put a hand sheepishly behind his head. "I was nervous! I never had a baby before." Zuko rolled his eyes. "That much was for sure. We finally got to the healer and you were pacing outside the room Katara was in like a mad man. You kept asking a nurse if you were allowed in until finally she yelled at you to sit down." It was true that Aang was a bit of a wreck at the birth of his first child. "Remember what you said to me while we were waiting outside that room?" 

     Zuko's face became a bit stern at the recollection. "You told me that you didn't know if you could handle being a father, that you were afraid. I told you that it was okay to be afraid, you could handle anything, and that your friends would always have your back." Zuko averted his gaze from the Avatar. Aang took the opportunity to console his friend. "I know you're afraid now, but that's alright. You're one of the toughest people I know. You have dealt the worst parts of life at a young age, taken them in stride, and went on to do amazing things. You can handle a lot. And if it becomes too much," He put a hand on Zuko's shoulder again, "you have all our friends to help you. And in spirit, I'll always be by your side." Zuko let out a deep breath, his face no longer twisted in anger, looking straight ahead.

     They each said nothing. Some friendships didn't need words to let one another know that everything was okay. Aang had that with Toph, Sokka, Katara, even Zuko. This was a moment where things didn't need to be said for them to each know that everything was settled. After a little while, Zuko turned to Aang. "Have you said your goodbye's to everyone else already?" Aang had a solemn look on his face as he shook his head. "Not everyone. I still haven't talked to my wife or kids. They're pretty upset, but this trip helped." Aang let out a deep breath. "I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to them, how they'll handle it...this is a rough situation." Zuko now placed his hand on his friend. "Hey, they're tough kids, and they will be okay. And Katara is still tough enough to crack our heads together." Aang laughed at his last statement. "That's my wife. So strong and determined. She'd take on the Avatar and the Firelord and not even flinch." Zuko chuckled in turn. 

     Aang had a question for the Firelord. "Hey, if you don't have to be anywhere, would you like to have dinner with all of us?" Zuko glared at Aang in a friendly way as he gave him that boyish grin of his, and then smiled. "I'd love too." Aang stood up with his friend, then began walking to the door exiting the bedroom as he said, "It's good to have you with us, Sifu Hotman." Zuko didn't as much as chuckle at his old nickname. All that came from his mouth was, "Don't push it." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my mind, Zuko needed his own chapter. Too much emotion inside him to be split with anyone else. Plus it took him five chapters to get here, his boat must be slow as hell.


	7. Water Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More sunny happy beach times. Gotta love Ember Island.

**Chapter 7: Water Song**

 

   It was another sunny day on Ember Island, and the heat was very noticeable. Over the calm, crystal ocean shot a long stream of red fire, stretching sixty feet out from its bender, Firelord Zuko. The whole family watched their friend in awe as he demonstrated his mastery over his element. As Zuko stopped the flame and came back to a resting position, the onlookers in the crowd clapped. Sokka spoke up first.

   “Dang, Zuko! You still got it in you, even after all these years of being really, really, really old.” Zuko frowned at the implication of his age. “I’m still the Firelord and a capable warrior. Let’s see if the Avatar can match that.” Aang giggled. He wasn’t much for showing off, but he loved competition with his friends. “Alright, let’s see if I still got the stuff.” Aang had mastered firebending many years ago, but it was still his least favorite element to practice. He wasn’t sure he was a match for the true master, but he would give it a go.

   Taking his stance and feeling the energy swirl in his body, he took a deep breath, then released it as he pushed his arms with strength and ferocity over the ocean. A bolt of fire burst from his fist, extending out far over the ocean, but not quite matching the Firelord. Toph commented on his skills.

   “Come on, Twinkle toes! You gonna let some guy with a hair piece show you up?” Zuko ignored the remark and took the opportunity to compliment his friend. “It’s still impressive to say the least. But not quite as good as the greatest fire bender on earth.” Katara let out her thoughts on the both of them. “Don’t doubt my husband. He always has a way of winning these things.”

   Aang, upon hearing the commentary from his friends, smirked a bit as his tattoos and eyes began to glow with a bright light. The flame extended so far beyond what any other firebender in history could hope to do, and all the previous commentators of Aangs skills were dumbstruck, excluding his wife who was well aware of her beloved’s talents.

   The kids all clapped while Zuko feigned a bit of anger and annoyance. “No fair. You used the Avatar state. That’s probably cheating.” Toph laughed at Aangs demonstration. “Nice job there, baldy. For a second I thought you were getting soft.”  Aang grinned at his companions. “You know, just doing my Avatar thing, saving the world and showing up the Firelord. All in  a day.” His grin grew wider as he looked at Zuko, who grinned in turn. “Alright, enough competition. Toph, let’s make a sand castle.” Zuko rarely had time to enjoy simple vacation time, let alone with his friends, and he was going to make the most of it. Toph took advantage of this situation. “Sure, I’ve got a good idea for one, too. Lin! You’re helping!”

   Lin stood from her seat in the sand and walked with Zuko and her mother without a word, excited to help in any project. Kya approached her father with great excitement. “Dad, can we go water bending boarding again? I’ve got a new technique I want to try out.” Aang, never passing an opportunity for fun, let alone with his daughter, smiled widely. “Sure thing, sweetie! Katara, wanna come?”

   Katara would have liked to go with them, but knew that those two needed some alone time. “You two go ahead. I’m gonna sit around with this old bag here.” Her gesture to Sokka didn’t go unnoticed. Sokka retorted, as he feels obligated to do so. “You’re calling me old? Look in a mirror, grandma.” Katara scowled at her brother. “I’m not a grandmother yet.” She then glared at her two younger sons. “Right, boys?

   Both Tenzin and Bumi blushed and simultaneously let out a yelp of the word “No!” Aang turned to his daughter after witnessing the debacle. “Looks like it’s you and me, hun. Let’s go!” The Avatar grabbed his daughter by the wrist and pulled her towards the ocean, where she was happy to go with him.

   Far enough from the coast, floating in the water, the father-daughter duo were ready to play. Aang asked, “So what’s this new technique that you developed in a few days?” Kya smiled at her father. “I call it, waterbending-wake.” She rose to the surface of the water with her ice board beneath her feet and took a rope from behind her back. Aang seemed perplexed. “What’s the rope for? And where were you keeping that?” Kya just shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Grab onto the rope and get on the board.

   Kya dismounted the board, allowing her father to jump on top of it. Kya swam about thirty feet away from Aang with one end of the rope. Rope in hands, he was still confused. “So what do we-GAH” Aang didn’t get a chance to finish, as Kya shot a stream of water behind her, pulling her father along the ocean. Surprised, but greatly amused, he maintained his balance on the ice and was being pulled along at a very fast rate. This was a fun game.

   Eventually Kya slowed down and Aang’s momentum pushed him towards his daughter, still laughing. Kya asked her father, “What do you think?” Aang stopped laughing so he could answer. “What do I think? That was awesome!” Kya laughed along with the Avatar. “I just wish I didn’t have to hold onto the rope. Then we could move even faster. Now it’s your turn to pull, dad.” Aang looked over by the shore and saw one of the canoes by the beach house. The Avatar put on his devious smirk. “I think I have a plan to make it faster.”

   Moments later, Kya was holding onto a rope attached to a canoe being propelled by the might of the Avatar’s bending. They were really moving now, and Kya was yelling out with glee. Everyone from the shore looked outward to the sea to see the two playing.

   Sokka commented on his niece. “She sure is a ball of fun, that one. Ever since she was a little girl.” Katara smiled at her brother. “She is, isn’t she?” Sokka smirked. “She must get it from me.” The master waterbender’s smile turned to a scowl. “Shut up.”

  The sun was beginning to set as the two water board fiends decided to call it a day. Everyone was already inside the house, probably waiting to eat. Kya was about to walk up to the house, but Aang sat on the sand, facing the ocean. It was a clear indication to join him. Kya sat next to her father. They sat in silence for a moment until Aang spoke up.

   “What a perfect day. You were really great out there.” Kya smiled at her father, her eyes watering, but no words left her mouth. Aang faced his first born child, noticing her concern. “Don’t be sad, honey.” Kya’s tears began to flow from her eyes. She felt unimaginable pain, but felt guilt for trying to express it. She knew her father meant well, but how was she supposed to just ignore his impending demise? How was she supposed to let go of all of the love she has for him and just let him go quietly?

   “How can I not be sad? How can I enjoy a day like today, knowing that it’s one of our last? How can I look at you and not be upset that you’re leaving me. You’re my father, I want you to be around longer. I’m not ready for this.”

   Aang looked at his daughter with sad eyes, but a small smile. He knew this was hard on her, but he also knew his daughter was strong and would understand. “Kya, I love you more than life itself. You and your brothers mean more to me than anything. That’s why we’re here, to enjoy our time together while we have it.” Kya was still upset. “I don’t want you to go.” Aang grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. “It doesn’t matter what happens, Kya. I’m always with you. I always will be.” Kya began to sob, and hugged her father tightly.

   “I’m scared to lose you, dad.” Aang stroked his daughter’s hair. “I know you are. But you have Mom, Tenzin, Bumi, Uncle Sokka, Toph, Zuko, even Lin to help you through this. I know you’ll be okay. That’s just how you are, Kya. You flow like the ocean, and you’ll let this flow too.” Kya smiled, hugging her father. She was feeling a great sadness, but the words of her father always helped her. “I love you, dad.”

   Aang smiled with her. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kya never got the character development she deserved. Tried to make some head canon for her here.


	8. Wild Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title gives away the main guy in this one.

**Chapter 8: The Wild Man**

 

     In the black of night, everyone in the house lay silent. Only two people remained awake at the moment. Aang stared at the ceiling, thinking about the days events, and thought more about how he would leave the world. As much of a straight face he kept around his family, it worried him to leave the world behind. He was very unsure about how things would be after his passing, how society would deal without the avatar for some years. 

   He quickly pushed those thoughts away. It was not just the duty of the avatar to keep balance, it was the responsibility of all good men and women who wish to keep peace in this world. For even the darkest men may rise, they will always fall to the brightest and most purified light of the good. 

   But something else was on the mind of the avatar. Someone else was awake in the house. He could feel it. He looked towards his sleeping wife, then tried to slide out of bed without her waking. As he walked out of his bedroom, he could feel a draft coming from the outside. Looking out the open door, he saw that his first son Bumi was leaning on the railing of the porch, looking over the ocean. 

   It was not like Bumi to stay up nights. Normally you had to fight with him to keep him awake in the bright hours of the morning. Aang walked onto the porch to speak with his son. "A lovely night, isn't it?" Aang said to his son. Bumi said nothing. Aang walked up to the railing next to him, staring over the beach and ocean along with his child. He knew that now was Bumi's turn for a heart to heart talk with the avatar, and Bumi knew this as well. 

   There were many things on the mind of the wild man on the porch of that beach house. His thoughts swirled in his mind, words coming at him left and right, every emotion he felt and all the pain he was feeling tried to let itself out, but Bumi remained stone faced. Then, all of those feelings let themselves out into one simple word that was filled with so much expression that Aang couldn't help but be taken aback. "Why?" 

   That one word put a dagger into Aang's heart. It was accusatory, as if the pain that Bumi was feeling was from the will of his father, as if he  _wanted_  for Bumi to feel such sorrow. But it was also sad, and behind the wild and ecstatic exterior of this great and confident man was the small child that the avatar had raised. "I don't always know." Aang had no idea what to say. There was no justifying the situation to Bumi. He had always looked up to his father as a hero, and now, as if in a terrible turn of fate, his hero was being taken from him. 

   "I still need you." Bumi was showing very rare emotions right now, and Aang was frequently his confidant. He knew how to talk to his son. "Remember that time I took you to Kyoshi Island?" Bumi turned to his father with a solemn smile. "Yea, I remember." Aang now beamed his trademark grin, knowing that his son was starting to feel better. He continued the story. "You were nine. Your mother was with Kya practicing water bending while Sokka and Suki's kids were by the beach." Bumi's mood started to improve upon the recollection of this tale. "And then I saw the biggest elephant koi I have ever seen to this day!"

   Aang continued the story. "You saw it and sprinted towards the water, dove in, swam all the way out there.." 

   Bumi stood straight and picked up the tale again, "And I hear mom yell out, 'BUMI GET BACK HERE! AANG GO GET HIM!'" 

   Aang resumed despite his laughter. "She was so mad at you! I had to dive in and swim way out to grab you by the hair."

   Bumi started to laugh with him. "Mom got really upset when she saw the both of us gliding in the ocean holding for dear life on that giant fish!" 

   Now the father-son duo were laughing with one another, holding onto the porch railing in order to keep from toppling over. Aang spoke up again. "I had a lot of making up to do. I think she was pregnant with Tenzin at the time...or was she? Eh, to hard to keep track of how old you three are."

   Bumi smiled at his father. "We had dozens of adventures like that. The wild hog-monkeys, the penguin sledding, the hopping llamas..." Aang interrupted with his own memories. "The badger moles, the Omashu mail shoots, that time you wanted to joust on komodo-rhinos, the list can go on a while." Bumi's smile suddenly vanished, for he knew that those memories were fleeting. "We'll never have those moments again. We'll never be able to do that kind of stuff anymore." 

   The wild man dropped his head, the weight of his father's upcoming demise pressing on him. "I don't want you to go..." This was especially heartbreaking for Aang. Bumi had always been a happy-go-lucky person, and to see him like this tore him up inside. But he knew what to say here. "Bumi, I know you're scared. But you don't have to be." He moved closer to his son, putting both hands on his shoulders, meeting the sad eyes of a defeated wild man. "The times we had together will never go away. The love I have for you will persist through a thousand lifetimes. It may be hard, and there will be times when you will feel saddened," Aang smiled at what he was about to say. "but I will always be with you, and you will be the mad genius you always were."

   Tears rolled down the wild mans face as he embraced his father, feeling as though a giant weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Aang always had a way with words, and Bumi always knew to heed them. "I love you, dad." 

   Tears built up in Aang's eyes as well. "I love you too, son. More than you could ever know." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stop being sad, Bumi. It makes me sad.


	9. Legacy Costs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenzin, you are one hard man.

Chapter 9: Legacy Costs

            A soft breeze floated through the air, carrying a salty taste to it. It was relatively cool outside, being a beach and all. But so early in the morning, the sun barely breaking the horizon, there was a distinct chill in the air. It was a perfect environment for Tenzin’s meditation. He sat on the porch, facing towards the sandy beach and the calming tides pushing in and out. The air bender was trying to achieve a level of peace that had been eluding him the past few days, and it did not go un-noticed by his father.

            Aang walked outside onto the porch where his son was practicing his meditation. He too sensed the calming nature of this time of day, but also saw the storm clouds in the mind of his youngest child.

            “May I join you?” Aang asked.

            Tenzin barely moved a muscle. “As you wish, father”

            Aang smiled. His son was always so polite and serious. He often wondered where he got it from. “It’s a nice morning.”

            This time, Tenzin made no reply. This troubled Aang, as Tenzin was frequently willing to converse with his father rather than sit in meditation. But he had been meditating a lot lately. So much so that it was worrying his mother. Aang had noticed this as well, but thought it best to leave his son to his thoughts for now. But seeing as time was not on his side, he decided to press his child as to what was bothering him.

            Aang moved in front of Tenzin and leaned on the guard rail. “Something on your mind, son?”

            Tenzin’s face remained in its position, almost stone like, his eyes staying closed. “I am simply practicing my meditation. Detachment from worldly concerns would do me some good at the moment.”

            Aang didn’t like that answer. “True, we must detach ourselves from our issues, but never away from our family or our friends. The love we feel for one another is what keeps us together. It’s what keeps us whole.”

            Tenzin remained like a statue, but his tongue was sharp. “Seeing as how you, the Avatar, have decided to detach yourself from your family, it must be the wisest course of action. After all, how important can family be if you’re so willing to sever all ties from them willingly?”

            This was more of a shock than anything anyone had said to Aang this past week. Tenzin was always so quiet and well mannered. He would never say something so harsh to his father. Anyone else’s instinct would be to react with anger, but Aang knew better how to handle this.

            He sat down with his son, speaking softly and choosing his words carefully. “You think this is my choice?”

            Tenzin’s face shuddered, eyes still shut. “Forgive me, father. I meant no disrespect.”

            Aang spoke once more. “You know I would stay with you if I could. It breaks my heart that I’m leaving.”

            A tear escaped from Tenzin’s closed eyes. “I do know that. But…you are my father. My teacher. My hero…”

            Tenzin took a moment to wipe his eyes on his robe. His composure returned to him almost immediately. “I’m sorry, father. It’s just that you and I are the only remaining air benders in the world. Without you…I will be alone.”

            Aang leaned forward towards his son. “Tenzin, you will never be alone. How can you even think that? An air bender is not all that you are. You’re a brother, a nephew, a friend, a son,”

            Tenzin smiled at the thought of his family. “Thank you, father.”

            Aang was always fascinated by how Tenzin tried to deal with problems. He simply let them drift away in the breeze. “And who knows, you might not be the last air bender for long. You might have a bunch of little air benders running around one day that you’ll have to teach!”

            Tenzin blushed at the thought of having children, and Aang picked up on it. He tried taking advantage of his son’s sudden good mood. “So how’s Pema doing?”

            The blush on Tenzin’s face grew even redder. “She’s doing very well.”

            Aang observed the manner in which his son spoke. “How well are we talking?”

            Finally, Tenzin opened his eyes. “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

            Suddenly, the biggest grin appeared on Aang’s face. “I couldn’t be prouder of you, son.” Aang loved Pema the second Tenzin brought her to meet him. He saw how happy he made her and that was what made her perfect in his book.

            Aang had a thought in his mind. “You know, the day you got your air bending tattoos was one of the proudest moments in my life. I never saw you so happy.”

            Tenzin remembered that day fondly. “It was a great achievement. I had an excellent tutor.”

            Aang smiled. “There was a day when we were having a meeting with the other acolytes at the temple. You were sitting at that table, all stern and serious, hearing about all the developments on the island. Then suddenly Pema walks in, and you turn into this giant ball of happy mush. That’s when I knew she was the one for you. She’s the only woman to crack the stone in your face.”

            Tenzin smiled at the thought of his love, and hopefully future wife. “She is truly wonderful.”

            They sat side by side with one another in silence for a moment. Then Aang remembered something. “You know, I’m sorry I interrupted your meditation.”

            Tenzin looked at him. “It was a good talk we had.”

            “True, true. But if I recall, two other people in this house had interrupted your practice a when we first got here, right?”

            Tenzin’s grin matched his fathers. “What did you have in mind?

Bumi was snoring peacefully in his bed. The wild man didn’t have a care in the world other than sleeping until the sun was high in the sky. There was a dark figure appearing at the foot of his bed. His sixth sense jolted him awake to gaze upon this monstrous figure, covered in green grime.

            The creature leaned forward and released a giant roar! Bumi jumped in his bed, trying to use his blankets to shield himself from the beast. A girlish shriek leapt from his lungs. Just as he finished his panic, the creature shed its skin, revealing his brother underneath with a giant smile on his face.

            Bumi finally came to his senses about the matter. “Tenzin?! What is wrong with you?!”

            Tenzin replied, still smiling. “Payback for earlier, dear brother.”

            Bumi, not amused, had a sour look on his face from being woken up. “Why didn’t you scare Uncle Sokka? It was his idea!”

            Tenzin replied coolly and calmly. “It’s being taken care of.”

            In a different part of the house, Aang could be heard yelling “Boo!” at the top of his lungs, followed immediately by a girlish shriek that was similar to Bumi’s, presumably coming from Sokka. Shortly after that, a booming voice can be heard. Toph yelled over the antics, screaming “EVERYONE SHUT UP. IT’S TOO EARLY”

            Tenzin and Aang met one another in the hallways of the house, hugging and laughing at the success of their prank. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aang passed the torch onto Tenzin, the 'soon to be' Last Airbending master. As we know in Legend of Korra, he does a wonderful job.


	10. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vacation's over. The finale.

Chapter 10: The End

      The trip back to Air Temple Island was a pleasant one, everyone laughing and reminiscing about their vacation. The time they spent there would be remembered forever, and for at least this very moment, their purpose for being there was forgotten. In that moment, they all had each other. After everyone dismounted the flying bison, the gang retreated back into the Avatars home.

      Suddenly, everyone was hit with the reality of the situation. There were no more smiles, no more jokes. At the same time, there was no grief or depression either. A somber energy filled the air, and everyone knew that it was time to go back to their own lives.

      Sokka was first to break the silence. “Welp! It was a great trip, everyone! But I think I need to head back to the council chambers. Lord knows they never get anything done without me.” He walked over to his sister, gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek, told her he’d be by more often. Then he turned his attention to Aang.

     No macho handshakes this time. They embraced each other like brothers. “I love you, Aang.” Sokka rarely showed his affections in public, but this seemed appropriate.

     “I love you too, Sokka.” No tears. Sokka gave his regards to everyone in the room, then found his way out.

     Toph was next in line. “Goodnight, sugar queen. Twinkle toes.”

     She chose a less intimate approach and squeezed the married couple together in a big hug. She may be old, but she’s still strong as an ox, as was apparent by the pained looks on Aang and Katara’s faces.

     Katara wheezed out, “goodnight, Toph. I’ll see you soon.” As she released the two of them, she showed evidence of emotion, and said “Yeah, I’ll see you guys soon,” knowing that for one of them, that wouldn’t be the case.

     Toph left the room with her daughter before anyone could notice the tears in her eyes. Zuko was rarely speechless, but in this moment, he could muster only one word to his friends. “Goodbye.”

     Him and Aang hugged one another, and the Firelord had no inhibitions about showing his emotions, letting the tears roll from his face onto the Avatar’s shoulder. Aang tried to ease the moment a bit with a pat on the back. “Goodbye, Zuko.”

     Aang and Katara’s children showed no signs of grief, but of contentment. All three of them  rushed to their father, hugging him in group fashion with their mother, and the five of them laughed together, sharing joy amongst one another, like a happy family. Kya spoke up first. “I love you, dad.” Aang smiled, “I love you too, sweetie.” Bumi interjected next, “Yea, pops. I love you too.” His father rustled his hair, same as he did when Bumi was a boy. Tenzin simply smiled at his father, and he smiled back, and those smiles said more than words would.

     The kids went to their rooms that they haven’t rested in for years besides Tenzin. Kya and Bumi had their adventures in the outside world and would likely return to them, as their lives had to go on.

     Finally, Katara and Aang retired to their quarters, hand in hand, and prepared for bed together. Neither one of them said anything until they were lying next to one another. Katara couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes and look at her husband. She began to shake, doing her best to be strong. Aang did what he did best and reassured her.

     “It’s okay, sweetheart.” He cupped her face with his hand, looking into her face. Katara’s eyes opened and met the gaze of the Avatar. All the years they spent together began to race through her mind. the boy she found in the ice burg. the boy she traveled with across the world. The boy she learned from. The boy she tutored. The boy that saved the world. The man she fell in love with. The man she built a country with. The man she built a family with. And now, the man that had to leave. This was too much for her to bear. “I’m going to miss you.”

     Aang smiled, and looked deep in her eyes. “I am always with you.” And Katara smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye Aang. 
> 
> Thank you to all who read up until this point. I hope it brought you at least a part of the joy reading it that I felt to write it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I wrote this many years ago, and after seeing it again, I thought it would be nice to repost it on a more mainstream website instead of hiding it away for myself and my friends. Feel free to leave any feedback you deem necessary.


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